Alexander-Walker highlights Canada Basketball’s roster for latest World Cup qualifier

Some big names will be missing when Canada’s men’s basketball team makes its next push to qualify for the 2027 FIFA World Cup.

Canada Basketball general manager Rowan Barrett unveiled the nation’s roster for the second round of the Americas qualifiers Tuesday, headlined by Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

He’ll be joined by Hawks teammate Luguentz Dort, who was traded to Atlanta this off-season after seven years in Oklahoma City, along with Trae Bell-Haynes, Khem Birch, Marcus Carr, Mfiondu Kabengele, Kaza Kajami-Keane, Koby McEwen, David Muenkat, Nick Ongenda, Kelly Olynyk, Jackson Rowe, Thomas Scrubb, Keevan Veinot and Kyle Wiltjer.

The Canadians will head to Panama City to take on Panama on Thursday before hosting Argentina in Quebec City on Monday.

Barrett’s son, Toronto Raptors star RJ Barrett, and Bennedict Mathurin of the Los Angeles Clippers will join the team in Quebec City as ambassadors but will not play.

“We have not required our NBA athletes, especially starting out on the road here in Panama, we have not required our NBA athletes to participate in this window if they’re not playing,” Rowan Barrett said.

“We believe they’ve come earlier in the summer, they’ve learned the coaches, they’ve learned the system, they’ve supported the team, they’ve done that, they’ve met the requirement.”

Plans were to have Shaedon Sharpe on the 15-player roster, Barrett said, but the 23-year-old Portland Trail Blazers guard, who averaged a career-high 20.8 points last season, tore his meniscus last week and will be out for six months.

Several of Canada’s top NBA stars will be absent for the latest round of qualifying, including the league’s two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Phoenix Suns standout Dillon Brooks.

Barrett didn’t offer details on why either athlete isn’t participating, but he said several of the players in Canada’s pool are dealing with various circumstances, from injuries and fatigue to contract issues and training camp preparations.

“We have multiple players injured. Some you know, some you don’t know,” the GM said.

“There are many, many different things we manage before putting together a roster, not to mention just life. Our guys are getting older. They’re full adults now, married with children.”

Canada Basketball has a pool of over 50 committed athletes it can pull from depending on anything from injuries to the timing of games, he added.

“You always have to be dipping into your pool to be putting together your best possible team … This is normal for us,” Barrett said.

“It’s almost like a relay race. One guy’s got to carry the baton, get it to the next guy, get it to the next guy to get it around the track. It’s a little bit what this structure forces you to do.”

The Canadians are currently ranked fifth in the world and head into the games sitting atop Group F with a 6-0 record following decisive wins over Jamaica and Puerto Rico in Hamilton in June.

The three best teams in each of the two remaining groups and the best overall fourth-place team will qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.

Panama currently sits 56th in the FIBA rankings, and Argentina is No. 8.

Canada Basketball staff wanted to assemble a group that balances inside players and outside players, and included athletes with FIBA experience for this round of qualifiers, Barret said.

“These games are important, and when you get down to it, execution becomes really, really important, ” he said. “And having players that have kind of been-there, done-that becomes really important. And we wanted a certain toughness in the team as well.”

Alexander-Walker is coming off a career-high season where he averaged 20.8 points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

The 27-year-old Toronto product was put into a favourable situation with the Hawks and grabbed his opportunity on the way to being named the NBA’s most improved player, Barrett said.

“Naturally, with players that continue working, continue honing skills and mining their craft, you’d expect to see growth. And I think with Nickeil, that’s kind of what you’re seeing,” he said.

Canada will also have a veteran presence at the qualifiers in 35-year-old forward Kelly Olynyk, who made it to the NBA finals with the San Antonio Spurs last season.

Olynyk has long been part of the national men’s program and grew up steeped in basketball, said Barrett. The GM noted he and Canadian basketball legend Steve Nash were both coached by Olynyk’s dad, Ken Olynyk, when they were in high school.

“(Kelly) loves the game,” Barrett said. “He’s a gym rat. He continues to get better as time goes along and after all the money he’s made and all the years he’s played, everything he’s done, he’s still here because he loves the game and he loves his country … We’re happy to have him back in the fold. And hopefully some of his leadership and experience can help us in this window.”

Monday’s game in Quebec City could have something of a hometown feel for at least one of Canada’s players.

Dort, 27, hails from Montreal, but may have loved ones in the crowd when Canada takes on Argentina, Barrett said.

“I know it’s important to him to play. Who wouldn’t want to play in their home (province)?” he said. “It’s a powerful thing when you’re walking in, and you can see all the familiar faces that were there along your journey.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2026.